Stepan (NYSE:SCL) – Stock analysts at Seaport Global Securities increased their Q1 2022 earnings estimates for Stepan in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, April 28th. Seaport Global Securities analyst M. Harrison now anticipates that the basic materials company will post earnings of $1.98 per share for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $1.65. Seaport Global Securities has a “Neutral” rating on the stock. Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last issued its earnings results on Monday, April 26th. The basic materials company reported $1.82 EPS for the quarter, topping the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $1.43 by $0.39. Stepan had a net margin of 6.51% and a return on equity of 13.85%. Separately, Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of Stepan from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $147.00 target price for the company in a research report on Friday. Shares of NYSE:SCL opened at $130.66 on Monday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $129.13 and its 200 day moving average is $122.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.62 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 2.31 and a quick ratio of 1.75. Stepan has a 1 year low of $83.66 and a 1 year high of $134.07. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 28th will be paid a dividend of $0.305 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 27th. This represents a $1.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.93%. Stepan’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 23.83%. (Ad)The “Great Reset” started on January 20th with the inauguration of Joe Biden. Between now and the midterms, the American economy could be reshaped forever – and renowned analyst Jeff Brown has found the “lynchpin” to the entire plan. In other Stepan news, VP Debra Stefaniak sold 402 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.85, for a total value of $48,983.70. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Luis Rojo sold 350 shares of Stepan stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.04, for a total transaction of $44,814.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 5,307 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $679,508.28. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 1,912 shares of company stock valued at $244,918. Insiders own 6.20% of the company’s stock. Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in SCL. International Assets Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Stepan by 101.0% during the first quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 201 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 101 shares during the period. FMR LLC increased its position in Stepan by 189.0% in the 1st quarter. FMR LLC now owns 341 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 223 shares during the period. Focused Wealth Management Inc bought a new stake in shares of Stepan during the fourth quarter valued at about $57,000. USA Financial Portformulas Corp acquired a new position in shares of Stepan during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $57,000. Finally, Veriti Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Stepan in the 4th quarter worth $105,000. 74.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Stepan Company Profile Stepan Company, together with its subsidiaries, produces and sells specialty and intermediate chemicals to other manufacturers for use in various end products in North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. The company operates through three segments: Surfactants, Polymers, and Specialty Products. Read More: What are municipal bonds? This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat’s editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected] Featured Article: Return on Investment (ROI) Defined, Explained 7 Great Dividend Stocks to Buy For a Comfortable RetirementThere are people who will say the day of set it and forget it retirement accounts are over. But it’s a narrative we’ve heard before. 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